Mark rolled out of bed as the phone rang. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he struggled to reach the phone.
“Good morning” he croaked.
My God Mark, is that you?” Stan asked. “What are you doing at home, its midday?”
When Mark did not reply he raised his voice, “what’s wrong?”
“What did you get up to last night?”
“Mate you won’t believe what’s happened,” Mark croaked, as he dropped the phone, his voice sounding far worse than he really was feeling.
“Hang on lad I’ll be right over,” Stan shouted, realising that something had happened.
Mark was pouring his second cup of tea when Stan arrived. “My god man you look like shit,” he exclaimed, “You look like something the cat dragged in.”
“What have you been up to?”
“Mate Tammy’s gone.” Mark groaned.
“What do you mean she’s left, as I understand it she’s gone off to visit her brother?”
“She’s gone all right; her car and a lot of her clothes are gone.”
“I had a call from a woman looking for her; she said Tammy was supposed to meet her at that restaurant up on the range on the way to her brothers.”
“I rang Tammy’s brother and she’s not there, he hasn’t heard from her either.”
Stan threw an empty whisky bottle and two wine bottles in the bin.
He pushed Mark down in a chair, “no more grog.”
“Think straight, this is the best thing that could have happened. He brushed aside Marks protests and went on, “your marriage wasn’t working, you said so yourself.”
“You have been whinging to me that your sex life was zilch.”
“I thought you would be throwing a party not sitting round crying in you beer. Let me tell you mate booze is no answer.”
Mark struggled to sit up, “Stan I’m not upset that she’s left me; I’m just worried that she’s safe. I want to know where she is.”
“I started to worry last night when the woman who rang said she was supposed to meet her and Tammy didn’t turn up. When I rang her brother and she wasn’t there I started to panic.”
“I’ve been sitting here drinking, worrying what I did to drive her away. I just hope she’s ok.”
An hour later after Mark had showered and shaved, they rang around Tammy’s friends who all reported they hadn’t seen her. They were sitting talking when the door bell rang. Opening the door, Mark was surprised to find a policeman and police woman on the doorstep.
Inside the Policeman quickly told them that Tammy’s car had been found at the bottom of a gully where it had ran off the road on the mountain range, The car had obviously been there some time. Tammy’s body had been thrown out and she was dead when police reached the scene.
Stan was surprised how calm Mark had become. He sat talking to the policewoman for a long time. The police woman when she interviewed Stan remarked that Mark was a very caring man.
Stan noticed how her face softened as she spoke of Marks concern for his wife and her last moments. “We meet a lot of terrible people on this job; it’s refreshing to meet someone like him.”
“My names Kerry Mathews, if he has any problems contact me,” she added as Stan showed them to the door.
Well you certainly impressed that young policewoman Stan said as they sat and talked.
“Mate I loved Tammy; I’m going to miss her. I am really sorry that our last years were so cold. We had many good years. I hope she died quickly, I hope she didn’t suffer.”
The young police woman handled the police formalities. She dropped into the house to keep him informed about the autopsy and the police reconstruction of the accident.
Days went by as the police completed their formalities.
Each day Kerry called in and sat with him as he talked about Tammy. By the time she announced that the police would release Tammy’s body for the funeral he was no longer down in the dumps.
Mark enjoyed her company, she had a fresh happy face, its best feature was a wonderful smile, it lit up her face. On the morning of the funeral he again felt lost, the house was empty it had a sad and lonely feeling.
Kerry made his morning when she called as she was going off shift at six am.
“I saw the lights on so early in the morning and wondered if there was anything wrong. Is there anything I can do, anything you need?” She asked.
“I’ll be alright when the funerals over and I go back to the office, but right now I’m lonely:” he confessed.
“We were married for twenty years, we always had each other, I loved her and I miss her.”
“Oh you poor dear,” she cried, as she hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.
Mark hugged her back, the warmth of her hard young body, plus the contact with her firm breasts through her uniform warmed him, making him realise the need to get on with his life.
He kissed her on the lips, “you have been wonderful, if you will let me I would like to take you to dinner soon to say thanks,” he said quietly.
“That would be lovely,” Kerry replied, kissing him back.
Kerry had spent most of her shift that night thinking of Mark. His kind ways and his generous nature had made her look at him not just as someone that required her help as a policewoman but as a person. “I would like to get to know him better,” she thought.
Marks house was overflowing after the funeral. Most of those who stayed after paying their respects and condolences were women.
Mark’s male friends had a drink or two and left, the women stayed on talking mostly about how Mark would cope on his own.
Ruth claimed him to say that the ladies club wanted him to join them on their regular Thursday morning for a round of golf. “If you need any help here at home just ring and I’ll come over,” she whispered as she kissed him again, her large tits squashed against his chest.
Darlene pushed in; “leave a bit for me,” she laughed as she kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear, “I’ll ring you tonight.”
The crowd was thinning out when the police commissioner and his wife arrived. “I’ve just dropped in to pay my respects and offer any help from my department,” he said as he shook Mark’s hand.
“Thank you very much, Mark replied your department has been great, one of your young constables Kerry Marshal has been very helpful.”
“That’s good to hear, my wife will stay, but I have to go, if we can do any more let me know,” the commissioner said as he headed for the door.
Mark turned as the commissioners wife took him by the arm, “I’m Stella we met the other day at the golf club.” “Oh yes I remember you,” Mark said with such enthusiasm that she raised one eyebrow and smiled.
Mark remembered how she had licked her lips showing a little tongue as she had whispered, “I look forward to seeing more of you.” She had an aura about her, a presence that struck a chord. He remembered asking Stan about her.
